Chinese firm indicted over Iran missiles

The US government has imposed sanctions on Chinese metals firm LIMMT Economic and Trade Co and its manager, Lee Fangwei, after the company was named as a collaborator in helping to transfer missile and nuclear technology to Iran, Reuters reported. LIMMT and Lee were indicted on 118 counts including suspicion of shipping 15,000 kg of a specialized aluminum alloy, usable in missile production. “Materials may be dual-use, but when they are sent to front companies set up by the Iranian military, and the defendants use false end-user certificates and dummy names, there’s not much doubt that the use is for weapons,” said Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau. Morgenthau said he would seek the extradition of Lee from China.